This application relates generally to biometrics. More specifically, this application relates to methods and systems for estimating personal characteristics for individuals from biometric measurements, such as by estimating anthropometric, demographic, and/or physiological parameters from fingerprints or other dermatoglyphic images.
The traditional approach of biometric identification systems has been to use a biometric measurement to provide a unique identification of an individual. For example, a biometric such as a fingerprint might be collected at the scene of a crime by law-enforcement personnel and compared with a database of fingerprints to identify potential suspects. This information may then be used by the law-enforcement agencies to search for the identified suspects as part of an investigation, which might also include ascertaining alibis and motives for various suspects to establish an evidentiary basis for prosecution. Other biometric identification systems may seek to confirm the identity of a person attempting to gain access to a secure facility, and the like. In addition to fingerprint measurements, there are a number of other biometric features that may be used for these purposes, including facial- or hand-geometry measurements, iris and retinal scans, and the like.
The usefulness of all such approaches to biometric identification is constrained by the completeness of the database against which comparisons are made. For example, in the context of law enforcement, a fingerprint collected at a crime scene may not have any counterpart in any accessible fingerprint database because the individual committing the crime has not yet had occasion to be fingerprinted. Current systems might record the fingerprint characteristics for evidentiary purposes should a suspect be identified, but are generally not useful in identifying potential suspects when there are no matches to existing databases.
Similar issues may arise in a number of other contexts. For instance, immigration screening in some countries now requires that some or all people presenting themselves at border crossings have their fingerprints measured. If the measured fingerprint matches the record for a known criminal or terrorist, the screening may take appropriate action. Again, such a process is limited by the fact that all existing fingerprint databases are necessarily incomplete. This presents the potential for certain types of spoofing attacks in which a person presents a different fingerprint through use of a prosthetic or other device, exploiting the fact that a significant number of fingerprints that are collected will not have any database counterparts. For instance, a white 30-year-old male whose fingerprints are known to be those of a wanted terrorist might be approved for entry because he fraudulently presents a fingerprint of a black 65-year-old woman simply because the databases have no record of that woman's fingerprints. Even though the screening authority has been provided with valuable biometric information, it is unable to use it effectively.
In some cases, a biometric measuring system may also be able to produce other estimates that are of commercial interest or of personal interest to a user. For example, a biometric that provides information on skin condition may be of use to the cosmetics industry. Similarly, a biometric sensor that estimates physiological parameters such as blood perfusion or hydration may be useful to a consumer during exercise.
There is accordingly a general need in the art for improved biometric analysis that may accommodate such circumstances.